Review Blog

Nov 28 2011

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman

Simon and Schuster, 2011, 9780857205438.
Recommended. Summer 70CE. Jerusalem has fallen to the Romans. Rael, the
young daughter of a Jewish assassin, flees across the desert with a
small group of other Jews seeking the refuge of the fortress Masada.
She arrives pregnant and is set to work in the dovecotes, along with
Shirah, known as the Witch of Moab, her daughters and other refugee
women. The doves are kept as indispensable food, sources of
fertilizer and as messengers. The women's lives are simple but rich
with Judaic tradition and complicated by love intrigues. Others who
have found shelter in Masada include the Essenes, an early form of
Christianity, and some Moabites who worshipped other gods, but who live
together amicably. However, the Roman army's advance is inexorable, and
as supplies within the fortress begin to fail the leaders prepare for
the deaths of all. The book is written in simple poetic prose enriched
by descriptions of the traditions of the Jewish faith. Each section is
presented through the eyes of a different woman, Rael who sees herself
as an outcast, Shirah, the beautiful and powerful 'witch', Revka, who
has lost all in the Roman advance and Aziza who becomes a warrior. The
reader is given a clear view of life as it was for women in Jerusalem
and Masada before the Roman conquest. While some of the earlier
passages seem forced, and some of the romantic elements are
implausible, the writing accumulates in power. The historical research
about the details of everyday life and Judaic traditions is sound, and
a convincing view of the pattern of life at that time is presented.
This novel is recommended for senior readers.
Jenny Hamilton